


the aybss staring back

by sapphfics



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, F/F, the other characters are there too but clary and izzy are The Focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 00:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12024684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphfics/pseuds/sapphfics
Summary: Clary Fray is not a person.(Or, the monster AU that no one asked for.)





	the aybss staring back

Clary Fray is not a person.

She is an experiment, an accident in the worst way possible. Her father didn’t know his wife was pregnant when he toyed with her, foolish as he was.

(You see, she believes he is dead. He is alive, of course, but she won’t know until it is too late.)

She comes into the world screaming, the chemicals coursing through her veins, burning her from the inside out. She comes out with the wings of a demon and greets her father by flying across the room and kicking him in the head. He only laughs and scoops her into his arms. She cries until her mother takes her back.

Jocelyn understands and the night they run, her Fathers burns their house down with both him and her brother inside. Jocelyn keeps a lock of her brother’s hair in a box and shuts down.

It turns out, demonic hellspawn grow up pretty fast and soon Jocelyn sends her to school.

//

Isabelle Lightwood could pass for a human should she feel so inclined.

She could easily hide the wraps that keep her alive. But she doesn’t, so she wears the bandages with pride.

Her brother, Alec, does too.

But he keeps to himself in the shadows whereas Isabelle is practically the queen of the school.

Izzy loves her brother more than anyone in her immortal life and he loves her just the same.

She knows he’s hiding but she won’t force him into the light. That’s a decision he has to make for himself.

//

Jace is an asshole and everyone knows it. This is not a story about him.

However, when Clary flies in through the door on her first day, he yells something like “Hey new girl! Carry your books for ya, baby?”

He even has the audacity to wink at her.

Clary is so pissed off that she actually spits fire in his face - she had no idea she could do that.

It puts him off, for a while at least.

//

They all meet in art class because apparently even blood sucking monsters can appreciate the works of Michaelangelo.

They’re not exactly friends at first.

Well, not until the humans break in through the windows and Clary accidently kills one, that is.

Clary lets out a scream, her eyes widening in horror.

“You did great,” Isabelle says, proudly.

“But I -” Clary starts, Alec cuts her off.

“He was going to kill you. He was trying to kill all of us.” Alec explains hastily.

“Who are they?” Simon asks tentatively.

“They work for Valentine.” Isabelle hisses out the name as though it is poison.

“Cool name for a band.” Simon comments.

“Valentine believes all monsters are abominations. If he had it his way, we would all be either dead or lab rats.”

“Just like my mom, like me.” Clary mumbles.

“You okay?” Isabelle asks and she’s gazing at Clary like she’s worth something.

Clary just flees.

//

"You okay?"

Clary takes a shaky breath, lifting her head from hands to find Jace staring at her. He looks nothing short of terrified, no trace of the charm or confidence he had radiated when they first met.

"N-not really," She chews on her lip feverishly, and rests her back against a wall and slides down so her knees are pulled around her head. "Izzy and Alec and Simon and - The humans - they - how could they-"

"Our friends are safe, don't worry." Jace reassures her, but Clary knows she will never feel that her friends are safe ever again, not as long as the mortals walk the earth and pollute the sky. "And the normies? They do this because they hate us. No one really knows why, exactly, 'cause we've not got any human allies and we don't go near them if we wanna survive." Jace clenches his fists.

"I killed one of them," Clary admits, and she just breaks down sobbing. She never wanted any of this. "And I don't regret it, and I know that's wrong but -"

"No, I get it." Jace says and there's a kind of venom in his voice that tells her the normies have done something more to him, something much _worse_. She doesn't ask, because it's not her place and, besides, they've only known each other for a few hours.

There's nothing either can think to say that will make their current situation more tolerable, so they sit and bond over their mutual hatred of humanity and, whilst there may be nicer ways to establish a friendship, this is better than nothing.

"Sorry," Clary says. "For, like, burdening you with my problems."

"Clary," Jace gives her a friendly smile, as if he to considers that whatever has forged between them a friendship. "You're the furthest thing from a burden."

"Thanks," Clary says, smiling back, still somewhat surprised at his compliment. "So are you, Jace. And if you ever need someone to vent to, I'm here."

"Thank you," Jace replies, and his smile is growing brighter, as if he may actually consider her offer. "Same for you."

//

Clary finds Izzy sitting alone on the back steps of the school.

Clary is still on edge. She doesn't feel safe, even in the sunlight, for all she knows, humans could be watching them at this second, lying in wait for another opportunity to strike. Some small part of her knows it's irrational, but the anxiety builds inside her with such force she begins to feel as if she's drowning.

She can't let them take Izzy. She won't let them take anyone. And if she has to die protecting them, she will. She refuses to let anyone else go through what she endured.

"Hey," Izzy says, her usual smile is no longer there.

"Hi," Clary sits by her, and it seems as if Izzy is trying to remember how to breathe. It's been a long time since she was alive, after all.

"Third time this week," Izzy says. "Third time. We weren't here for the first two, but my parents were. They said we'd be safe!"

Without thought, Isabelle picks up a fallen piece of brick and throws it to the ground with such force that it makes a small hole in the earth.

"I know I shouldn't be...like this." Izzy, with a groan of frustration, sits back down with something like defeat hanging in what's left of her bones. "I mean, we've not got it half as bad as the vampires or werewolves or fae. I just feel really...alone. Like, I can be surrounded by people but still feel lost."

"You're not alone." Clary reminds her, because she can't think of anything else to say. "You have your friends, and your family and -"

"What about you?" Izzy asks and it might seem ridiculous. They've known each-other for less than a day but -

"You have me, too," Clary assures her. "I mean...If you want me, that is."

"Of course I do!" Izzy declares, and her smile resembles the moon. With kindness and confidence, Izzy laces their hands together and gazes into Clary's eyes. "You're part of us now."

(In this moment, Isabelle is Isabelle and Clary is grateful she exists.)

"Let's go home," Clary says.

//

Izzy walks her home because it's the nice thing to do and Clary feels so grateful. She feels safer, when Izzy is around.

Izzy is still holding her hand when her mother answers the door.

"Hey Mom!" Clary says, cheerfully. "This is Izzy."

Jocelyn looks as though she's seen a ghost.

"Mom, you alright?" Clary asks.

Izzy sends Clary a worried glance.

Jocelyn ushers both of them insider and, boy, this is weird.

"Mom, what's going on?!" Clary asks, growing frantic.

Jocelyn swallows, opening her mouth just as they hear the ear-splitting sound of breaking glass and shouting and what must be some kind of attack dog. Clary feels her pulse quicken.

"You have to go! Don't come home! You can't! I won't let them take you -"

"Mom?!" Clary feels like screaming, she feels so useless. "Just tell me what to do to help you and I'll do it! I'll do _anything_ , walk through fire, battle humans, whatever it takes!"

"You - you need to find Luke." Jocelyn sounds as if she's trying to stay calm but Clary can hear someone battering down the back door. "Tell him - tell him Valentine's found me."

"What the hell are you talking about?! How do you know Valentine? Mom, I can't just abandon you -"

"Clary, I'll be fine!" Her mother places a hand on her shoulder and wraps a chain around Clary's neck. "Take this, and think of me when you where it."

Izzy hasn't let go of Clary's hand and is muttering something that sounds like a hex under her breath. It's pointless, Jocelyn knows. Nothing can save her.

"Mom -"

"You're more powerful than you know," Jocelyn sounds close to tears, and she looks at her daughter as if she could never look at her enough. "Remember, I love you!"

"Mom -" Clary cries out, and she's sobbing.

A flash of purple light engulfs them, and Jocelyn vanishes from their view. 


End file.
